


Recollection of cherished memories

by Beadlight11



Series: Kurotsuki week 2016 [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-07-19 17:06:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7370335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beadlight11/pseuds/Beadlight11
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kei finds the baby blue wooden box filled with memories of his youth tucked away in the corner of a storage room.</p><p>“I think I like you Kuroo-san,” he says all too quickly, maybe in an attempt to condense his words so Kuroo wouldn’t hear it. Of course Kuroo hears it like he always does with Kei.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Recollection of cherished memories

It’s a cold morning, sun hidden by the clouds, when Kei finds the baby blue wooden box (unlocked luckily) filled with memories of his youth tucked away in the corner of a storage room. Memories in the form of photographs, letters and small memorabilia knick-knacks, something that he had never shown anyone but each one all very dear to him.

A photograph of Kei sleeping face down on a book, taken by _that_ guy of course, Kei still remembers their first meeting all too well even though ten (short) years had passed.

~

[19:37 Yamaguchi Tadashi]: Tsukki, did you settle in the dorm room alright??

[19:45 Tsukishima Kei]: Yeah, my roommate is an idiot though.

[19:46 Yamaguchi Tadashi]: It’s only been a day since you arrived though??

[19:47 Tsukishima Kei]: Enough time to know he’s an idiot. In fact I’m surrounded by a whole bunch of them. Save. me.

[19:46 Yamaguchi Tadashi]: Hahahas well don’t die yet. I already book my ticket to come visit in the next four months (￣ω￣)

A week since his arrival and Kei already found his solace for the next couple of years, the third floor of the huge university library, a secluded spot by the mythologies section, the section of the library where students rarely come by. A shame really for the section contained an abounding amount of interesting books that Kei would love to read one day.

Two months peacefully went by since his arrival and Kei’s ability to avoid most people on campus, according to his (one and only) friend, remained ever so impressive. So when he hears the shutter of a phone going off when he had just dozed off after reading a chapter of another boring book (off the recommended section nonetheless), he looks up to glare at the guilty culprit. The offender actually dares to smirk at him with said phone in hand.

“I don’t know who you are…” Kei lies, knowing full well the guy standing before him is the captain of the tennis team, Kuroo Tetsurou, “…but did you just take a picture of me?”

“Will you believe me if I say I didn’t? You’re free to check my phone if you’re suspicious,” Kuroo says as he hands the phone over to Kei, fully unlocked with a background photo of the university tennis team. Just as he reaches for the phone, Kuroo quickly retracts his hand, phone now out of Kei’s reach.

“…But before that we have to be acquainted with each other first, I’m Kuroo Tetsurou!”

“I really don’t,” Kei says as he stands up to leave, the book he was reading forgotten on the desk.

~

Kei knew from the very first day that he arrived that his roommate, Hinata Shouyou, a bundle of energy, loud and entirely hot-blooded was someone he probably won’t get along with in the long run. But when Kei sees the far shorter boy unusually moping around their room with a sulk on his face, Kei doesn’t know whether he should be disconcerted or annoyed.

“Ok, it’s been an hour and I’m getting annoyed here. I’m only asking and listening once so what happened?”

“There’s a guy!” Hinata blurts out, “And I…I think I might like him and I don’t know what to do with this information!”

“Huhhhh, so someone as simple-minded as you can actually like someone huh?”

“What exactly is that supposed to mean huh?!”

While Hinata’s glare may be scary to some, Kei is totally immune to it having received the full brunt of it for the past two months.

“What about you, do you have anyone you like Tsukishima?!”

He doesn’t answer Hinata’s question not because he flat-out refused to, but because he _genuinely_ doesn’t have an answer.

When Kei returns to his usual spot a week after meeting Kuroo Tetsurou, he finds the exact person in question sitting at his usual spot.

 “Oh four-eyes! You’re finally here,” Kuroo cheerfully says while waving to him even though they’re in the library.

“You do realize we’re in the library? In the first place, why are you sitting here Kuroo-san?”

“Oh, you do remember my name!”

Kei glares at him harder.

“Now now don’t glare at me. I bet you don’t realize but I sit at that table behind you to study.”

“…So why don’t you sit there?”

“Honestly, you caught my interest when you started coming here to read the books off those dusty old shelves. You’re a first year right?”

“What? I caught your attention when you don’t even know my name?” Kei says perhaps a bit too defensively.

“…Sometimes, it’s the smallest things that people do that catches your eyes four-eyes.”

Kei mutters under his breath, “…The smallest things can make you like someone huh…”

They go out to a café after Kei finishes his book and Kuroo finishes the last of his assignments. Since Kuroo promised Kei that he would pay beforehand as a form of apology for disrupting his usual routine, he didn’t see any harm in agreeing.

It’s been seven months and to his surprise, he actually finds Kuroo’s company enjoyable. How Kuroo talks so passionately about the sport he enjoys, his witty comments, how smart he is and even the way Kuroo blows the steam off his coffee for a good two minutes before drinking it.

_Really…it’s the smallest things that people do that catches your attention._

When Kei is in his second year of university and Kuroo his fourth year, they sit together underneath the night sky at the park around the corner of the dorm. It’s been their usual routine for the past year, to sit at the swings enjoying their egg sandwiches and box juices bought from the convenience store. There’s nothing unusually different about that night but Kei blurts it out anyway.

“I think I like you Kuroo-san,” he says all too quickly, maybe in an attempt to condense his words so Kuroo wouldn’t hear it. Of course Kuroo hears it like he always does with Kei.

“You think you like me?” Kuroo smiles all too gently at him.

“To be honest, I’m…not too familiar with this feeling…but lately you’ve been talking about your future more and more and I…I want to be with you even after graduation. Is that bad?” he admits honestly, all the while his face looking towards the ground because Kei is not quite sure whether he wants to see the look on Kuroo’s face.

A thought that crossed his mind numerous times, will he be rejected?

Strong arms envelop him into a hug before he hears the all too familiar voice saying, “…You know, I was thinking of saying I like you for the past year but I could never bring the subject up…”

“Tsukishima Kei,” Kuroo says as the both of them now face each other earnestly, “Shall we give this relationship a try and make it work?”

~

Nothing really changes between the both of them since entering a new chapter in their lives except maybe for the fact that Kuroo leaves cheesy romance lines from poorly written television shows on their shared bathroom mirror, their shared bed and dinner table, at every given chance really. Kei enjoys it as much as he cringes at it for some of those lines were really terrible and cringe-worthy.

Nothing really changes except for the fact that Kei buys flowers for no special occasion but to see the smile on Kuroo’s face and that every day is now filled with a warm glow and shine.

When Kuroo left for five months following an overseas job request, Kei honestly thought this is where it all starts to fall apart. Four years since they been together and isn’t four an unlucky number anyway?

But Kuroo… _they_ don’t let each other forget. The phone calls, skype chats and video calls, the occasional handwritten letter sent from across the world and it’s all so rewarding when they hug each other across the airport floor, not caring for the bystanders curious looks for it’s been a grueling five months without feeling the familiar warmth of another.  

“…You know, I’m thinking of quitting my current job and moving us to the countryside. What do you think?”

“…Since I’m a writer, it doesn’t really matter where I work from…but what brought this on so suddenly?”

“I thought it’ll be a nice quiet change of pace. You know I’ve been kind of busy with work these days even more so and I really just want to spend more time with you,” Kuroo says with a slight blush on his cheeks and Kei feels his face heat up in a similar manner.

“…I’m fine with it…but what about your job?”

“I’m sure I can find something, I’m smart enough too!”

Sure enough, following their six year anniversary since getting together, they move to the countryside. Kuroo gets a job at the local school teaching little kids and Kei can see it in their eyes how much the little kids are fond of Kuroo too. It’s a nice and quiet life with no feelings of rush. Both Kei and Kuroo take their time, enjoying the presence of each other's company.

~

Kei hears the door click as he packs away the items back into the box, with as much care as possible so they don’t break.

“Hey love, I bought the ingredients for us to bake a cake, what say you?”

“…A strawberry shortcake one?”

“…You know I look at you every single day and I just find myself loving you even more,” Kuroo says with that stupid silly smile of his.

“You know even though the both of us have been together for ten years, I still question how you’re able to say those lines with a straight face…”

“…But I love you too…” he adds quietly, low enough only for Kuroo to hear and the happy smile plastered on his face is worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, so it's been a while since I wrote anything. But I hope you enjoy this anyway~


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